the magpies
by envysparkler
Summary: Only one day of the year. - Zuko/Katara.


**a/n:** apparently, it isn't fair to write a holiday!fic for only one fandom, so you have to do it for all.

**dedication:** to not knowing the difference between right and wrong.

**disclaimer: **i don't own anything.

**summary:** Only one day of the year. – Zuko/Katara.

* * *

**the magpies**

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_the river divided them_

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"Your Majesty?" The scent of freshly prepared jasmine tea wafted in the room as an old, genial man poked his head around the door.

The young man replied brusquely, without looking up from the letter he was drafting, "What is it Uncle? I'm rather busy at the moment."

Iroh smiled at the sight of Zuko working so diligently. It had been nearly four years after the war, yet there were still many treaties and alliances that had to be carefully nurtured. Most did still not trust the Fire Nation and – as a result – words had to be chosen carefully, diplomatically. Zuko was the best one for the job, though he did occasionally let his temper get ahead of him.

Though the Earth King's pompous niece wasn't an integral part of any negotiation.

"Too busy even for your waterbender friend?" Iroh said slyly, delighting in the way Zuko dropped his calligraphy been and immediately stood up, a smile lifting his gloomy features.

Katara was acting as the Water Tribes' ambassador, though she had so much on her plate that she visited Zuko only for short periods of time. Zuko – secretly, to himself – admitted these visits were like little celebrations for himself. He and Mai had drifted apart, again, and this time it was the hot-tempered waterbender whose face appeared in his dreams.

It was a child's fantasy, though. Katara had hated the Fire Nation for fourteen years; and had loathed him for one of them. It would be extremely selfish of him to force him into an awkward position – she was, after all, an ambassador, and he was the Fire Lord.

Unfortunately, selflessness was not something he was known for, and this was an opportunity he had long been waiting for.

"Zuko!" All he saw was the flash of blue before Katara lunged at him, nearly knocking him over.

"Well, well, Zuzu, I suppose this healing session's over," a familiar snide voice reached his ears and Zuko looked past the pint-sized girl trying to suffocate him to see his sister stand up and stretch, a wry smile on her face. "I'll see you the next time you visit, Katara. And Zuko," here she paused, shooting him a sneer, "Try not to be so oblivious."

He blinked at his sister's words. Aang had taken away her firebending and after Mai and Ty Lee had visited her, Azula had slowly turned over a new leaf. She was still the same, arrogant, condescending little sister – he couldn't ask for a _miracle_ – but she was slowly learning to trust others.

Before he had time to muse over this latest development, however, Katara tugged at his clothes and raised an eyebrow, "Isn't there some sort of law that prohibits the Fire Lord from wearing comfortable clothes?"

Zuko looked down at himself – he was wearing the tunic and pants he had worn when he had joined the Avatar. Admittedly, they were not the most regal of items, but the three large burns where the official seamstresses had once stood were warning enough.

The Fire Lord was an obstinate person.

Laughing, he ruffled her hair, "No, that sort of law only applies to Water Princesses of marrying age." Katara pouted, remembering the day he had visited her tribe, only to watch in slight amusement as she was stuffed into a whalebone corset and heavy furs, then paraded around like a platypus-bear to her suitors.

"Fortunately, under Clause 14, Footnote 3," he winked at her, "The law can be disregarded for irate waterbenders."

"Oh," Katara arched an eyebrow and fell in step with him as they started walking down the corridor, "And what would you know about Water Tribe laws?"

Zuko just gave her a mysterious look, hoping she would fall for it – actually, the last time he was in the South, he had asked her father what someone (theoretically, of course) would have to do in order to be eligible to marry his daughter. Hakoda had given a booming laugh and told him, though the grin on his face told Zuko that the Chieftain knew exactly what he was up to…

Fingering the blue pendent that was hidden in his pocket, Zuko turned his mind back on Katara, who was talking about a festival she had witnessed in the Fire Nation. "And so then, on that one day of every year, Niu Lang and Zhi Nu could be together, they were reunited on the bridge of magpies that spanned the galaxies."

"You seem to know a lot about the festival," Zuko smirked. His mother had often taken Azula and her friends to the city to witness the preparations and he had tagged along once or twice.

"We did the same thing in the Water Tribe as well," Katara beamed, "We used to pray to the Spirits of Tui and La, and receive blessings for our prospective husbands." Pink touched her cheeks at the word _'husband'_.

"A festival that spans the countries," Zuko lead Katara down a set of steps and into a courtyard, "Intriguing."

"Well, love is universal, isn't it?" she looked at him shyly, a tint of blush covering her cheeks, "And even though Niu Lang was just a moose-cowherd while Zhi Nu used to weave the clouds and the rainbows in the skies, it showed that they could end up together. A peasant and a prince – princess," she tripped over her words, flustered.

"Oh," a slight smile played on Zuko's lips. He had realized what his sister was trying to say, "But then Koh, her father, took her back."

"But Niu Lang followed her," Katara exclaimed, getting drawn into the story, "And even though Koh drew a river in the Spirit World to stop him, Niu Lang still waited. Then, Koh showed mercy on the couple, and allowed them to be united, one day of the year, on the bridge that spanned the river."

Zuko laughed as they drew closer to the turtle-duck pond. Katara looked at him, bemused.

"Sorry," he chortled, "It's just that it sounds familiar, doesn't it? A princess and a peasant. A father that would do anything to keep them apart. And the short span of time in which they could meet…" he trailed off, watching Katara's reaction out of the corner of his eyes.

She seemed to be biting her lip, waiting for him to say something as Zuko tossed pieces of bread to the turtle-ducks.

When the silence stretched on, Katara opened her mouth hastily, "Well, the only reason Zhi Nu married him was because he stole her clothes!" Zuko raised an eyebrow at this unexpected declaration while Katara turned a hitherto unknown shade of red, mortified, "Wait, that's not what I meant –"

Zuko snickered, "Relax, Katara, I'm not going to steal your clothes."

"Well, good, because I –" Katara cut off her indignant reply when his words processed in her brain, "You – what?"

"In fact," Zuko leaned forward and drew out the betrothal necklace, "I'm very much hoping you'll _wear_ this." When Katara didn't do anything but stare at the necklace, shocked; he took off her mother's necklace and replaced it with the one he had made, watching admiringly as it caught the setting sun and shimmered.

It was a nice piece of work, he'd have to thank Sokka – though he was pretty sure the Water tribesman would kill him when he found out what his carving lessons were for.

"And I certainly hope I'll see you more than one day of the year," Zuko whispered sincerely as Katara held the pendant and stared at him in awe.

* * *

**le –**

* * *

"I guess I'll have to start building a bridge between the Southern Water Tribe and the Fire Nation now, won't I?"

* * *

**- fin**

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**a/n:** as there is no valentine's day in avatar!verse, I decided to look up festivals of love, and this popped up. for those of you who didn't understand, look up chinese valentine's day, and you'll see it.


End file.
